Reports : ICC’s World Test Championship favors Test wins over series wins

SportsCafe Desk
no photo

According to reports, the points system for ICC’s World Test Championship is more inclined towards Test wins rather than series victories, with a draw fetching only 1/3rd points available. A maximum of 120 points will be up for grabs in each series, which is due to begin after 2019 World Cup.

The points system has been the subject of much discussion between members as they finalize details of the Test Championships, in particular over whether points should be awarded for series wins or match wins. All sides do not play the same number of Tests in a two-year WTC cycle and neither do all necessarily play an equal number of home and away Tests.

According to reports from ESPNCricinfo, now, a maximum of 720 points, 120 points for six series in a cycle, three at home, three away, would be available for all nine sides. This system was presented at the ICC's annual conference in Dublin over the weekend where the Chief Executives' Committee (CEC) went through the recommendations made by the ICC's cricket committee and passed them on to the ICC Board that has approved the recommendations.

According to various officials present in Dublin, the key element in creating an effective points system was incentivizing wins, so that winning a two-Test series 2-0 would bring greater reward than winning it 1-0. Points at stake for every match would ideally negate the idea of teams playing for a draw, and also invest considerable meaning to Tests being played after the series has been decided.

In a five-Test series such as the Ashes, each Test would be worth 24 points (120/5). If a team wins it 5-0, it will win 120 points. If the result is 3-2, the winning team will get 72 points and the losing side 48 points. If a team wins it 3-0 (with two drawn), the winning side gets 88 points (24 x 3 for the wins plus 8 x 2 for the draw) and the losing side 16 (8 x 2 for the draws).

In a two-Test series, each Test is worth 60 points. If a team wins the series 1-0, it will get 80 points, while the losing side receives 20 points. In a three-Test series, each Test is worth 40 points. A team winning 2-0 will receive 93.3 points (40 x 2 plus 13.3 for the draw) while the losing side will receive 13.3 points. A series drawn 1-1 will mean both sides get 53.3 points each (40 for the win +13.3 for the draw)

This system was one of two options under consideration. In the other option, both, match wins and series, wins would fetch points, although individual match wins would get much more. So protecting a 1-0 lead in a two-Test series ahead of the second Test could be a desirable result.

In May, the ICC's cricket committee, headed by former India captain Anil Kumble, ruled out allotting a set of points for a series win. Instead, the committee felt that by allotting points for every match, it would push teams to play to win because the points accrued would order rankings at the end of the cycle, on the basis of which the top two sides qualify for the Test Championship final, which would be a one-off Test.

Support INDIA! Predict India vs Afghanistan & Win CASH!

Win Cash Prizes of upto ₹75,000! Download NostraGamus here Now!

Win Cash Everyday on NostraGamus! Play Now on Android & predict matches of ANY Sport! Click here to Download Now & Get ₹40 Cash Bonus!!

laught0
astonishment0
sadness0
heart0
like0
dislike0

Comments

Sign up or log in to your account to leave comments and reactions

0 Comments